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The Debrief

THE DEBRIEF PODCAST

Real answers to tough questions with Pastor Matt Brown

The Debrief is a weekly podcast from Sandals Church where Pastor Matt Brown offers real answers to tough questions. Episodes feature questions sent in from our listeners as we all figure out what it looks like to be real with ourselves, God and others.

How do you deal with heartbreak, relationship issues, and losing family at this time? In this podcast, Pastor Matt shows us how having a world view based on God's word can impact our relationships at every level. Listen now.

Adjusting to a “new normal” is hard on everyone. How do you navigate staying informed, keeping loved ones safe and the inevitable relational tensions? Listen in as Pastor Matt and Tammy Brown give real answers to tough questions about the coronavirus pandemic.

Do the promises in the Bible apply to us, or are they just stories about other people? Can Christianity and homosexuality coexist? Is there a way to overcome a deep fear of death? Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown gives real answers to your tough questions

Does following God instead of your desires or dreams mean giving up on the plans you had for your life? How do you recover from a bad break-up or date when you’ve been abused? Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown gives real answers to tough questions about dating, homosexuality and following God.

How do you stay motivated when you feel the odds are stacked against you? In this episode, we dive into staying motivated when you don't feel like it. How to lower your anxiety and how to move on after tragedy. Links from this episode: 1. 60 Days to a Better You Reading Plan - http://move.sc/app
2. Find counseling help - http://move.sc/help or http://aacc.net
3. Ask Pastor Matt a question at http://debrief.showFollow along at https://www.instagram.com/thedebriefshow/

How do you know what’s expected of a Christian? Is there a real difference between attending church in person and watching online? Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown and sandalschurch.tv lead Nick Ovalle talk through how to get more out of church.

What does it take to lead a church? How do you know if you’re called to be a pastor? What does God have to say about it all? Listen in as Sandals Church pastors Matt Brown, Adam Atchison and Alfredo Ramos give real answers to your questions about pastors and church leadership.

If you’ve ever been to church, music and singing usually plays a part, but what’s it all about? What do we mean when we talk about worship and why does it matter? Listen in as Pastor Matt interviews Sandals Church worship leaders Steve and Bek Deal about why worship matters.

How do you find the right person to date and when should you get married? Are some people destined to stay single? What do you do about sex, break-ups and feeling stuck in the friendzone? Listen in as Pastor Matt and Tammy Brown give real answers to tough questions about dating.

Family can be hard. How do you navigate hurt feelings, dysfunction and the holiday conflicts that are inevitable with any family? Listen in as Pastor Matt and Tammy Brown give real answers to your tough questions about family drama.

When it comes to fighting against depression and anxiety, or understanding people who are different from us, learning how you work is key. Listen in as Pastor Matt and Tammy Brown talk through how to use the enneagram to get healthier and improve your relationships.

Recent high-profile suicides among Christian leaders beg the question - is suicide a sin or just the result of unavoidable circumstances? Listen in as Pastor Matt answers your questions about what the Bible has to say about suicide and mental illness and how we should respond.

Is it possible to have healthy conflict that doesn’t ruin your relationships? Listen in as Pastor Matt and his wife Tammy talk about their history with conflict and answer your questions about how to fight fair.

How does understanding our personality help our relationships? What are the things we don’t realize we do that cause tension we don’t want? Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown talks with a mental health professional about the enneagram and relationships.

A special episode of The Debrief Show where Pastor Matt Brown speaks with law enforcement officers, a survivor of a mass shooting event and mental health professionals on the rise in mass shootings and gun violence in America and the Christian response.

How do we find clarity in an unclear world? Are scholars right when they say the bible can’t be trusted? Where’s the line between striving for a dream and trusting God to fight for you? Listen in as Pastors Matt Brown, Adam Atchison and Alfredo Ramos give real answers to your tough questions.

Churches have gotten it really right and really wrong when it comes to a lot of things - including God himself. How do you know if you’re being manipulated or misled when someone talks about hearing from God? Listen in as Pastor Matt gives real answers to tough questions about the Holy Spirit.

How can you know if you (or people you know) are really a Christian? Is being right with God it only based on what you believe about him or what you do for him? Listen in as Pastor Matt and Pastor Alfredo Ramos answer your questions about real Christianity.

Pastor Matt Brown sits down with prominent author and speaker Lisa Bevere to talk about the true role of women in the church and how the book of Galatians helps us understand what God wants from each gender.

Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown interviews Pastor Mark Driscoll of The Trinity Church in Scottsdale, AZ about how to make sure your version of Christianity is actually the right one as they each work through the book of Galatians. (Part 3 of a 3-part series)

Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown interviews Pastor Mark Driscoll of The Trinity Church in Scottsdale, AZ about how to make sure your version of Christianity is actually the right one as they each work through the book of Galatians. (Part 2 of a 3-part series)

Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown interviews Pastor Mark Driscoll of The Trinity Church in Scottsdale, AZ about how to make sure your version of Christianity is actually the right one as they each work through the book of Galatians. (Part 1 of a 3-part series)

If you have a relationship with God, do you really need to go to church? How can parents love their kids well without idolizing them or worrying about them? Listen in as Pastor Matt gives real answers to tough questions about church, idols and the right way to worship God.

Can praying actually change God’s mind or not? And what exactly counts as using God’s name in vain? Listen in as Pastor Matt gives real answers to tough questions about how we can (or can’t) use God’s name.

How can men and women live out how God made us to be when that can sometimes seem at odds? How do you raise kids of a different gender and what do you do when your spouse isn’t in the picture? Listen in as Pastor Matt gives real answers to tough questions on gender and parenting.

What do anger, gossip and murder all have in common? How should Christians respond to new abortion laws and what do you do when your line of work involves taking lives? Listen in as Pastor Matt gives real answers to tough questions about God’s command not to murder.

How far is too far when you’re dating? What do you do when your spouse cheats? How can you look at porn less? Listen in as Pastor Matt and Tammy Brown give real answers to your questions about sex and adultery.

Is it ok to take from the rich to give to the poor? Are there times when stealing doesn’t really count as sin? How do recover when you’ve been robbed? Listen in as Pastor Matt and some special guests give real answers to tough questions about stealing.

Are some lies better than others? If the law in the Bible is supposed to be good, why does the Bible also say it leads to death? Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown answers your questions about lying and envy.

What happens when you try to pursue God and your relationship falls apart? Is it possible to have a more purposeful retirement? Where do you start when you want to understand the bible better? Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown gives real answers to your tough questions.

If we want to create a better life from the one we have, how do we know where to start? Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown and Sandals Church Executive Pastor Dan Zimbardi answer questions about finding success and figuring out what to do with your life.

If we’re all both beautiful and broken, how do you learn to see yourself more clearly? What do you do when you love someone who has become the worst version of themselves? Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown gives real answers to tough questions about becoming a better version of yourself.

How do you know if your dating relationship is healthy or not? How can you learn to stop blowing up on the people you love? And how can you become a better version of yourself? Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown gives real answers to tough questions about how to get better.

If the devil is real, how do we fight him? How do you tell the difference between the voice of God and the voice of the enemy? And what do you do if it feels like you’ve never really heard God speak before? Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown gives real answers to tough questions about the devil.

What’s the difference between having judgment and being critical? How do you handle your parents’ death or divorce? When do you step away from toxic people? Listen in for a real conversation about the hard parts of relationships.

Have you ever struggled to find things about yourself to be thankful for? Or maybe it’s hard to live up to your own standards or feel happy most days. How can you have a life you love? Listen in as Pastor Matt gives real answers to tough questions about fear and insecurity.

Life can be heartbreaking. From disabled children to hurtful relationships, we may all face a time where our hearts can feel wounded beyond repair. Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown gives real answers to tough questions about handling pain.

How do you deal with worry and anxiety when it feels all-consuming? Is it ok for Christians to seek counseling or use medication for anxiety and depression? Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown gives real answers to tough questions about anxiety.

Following another tumultuous week of headlines, including a shooting at a Jewish synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pastor Matt Brown and several guests discuss how we should respond to growing violence and discord in our nation.

Before jumping into the topic of prayer and faith, Pastor Matt gives real answers to tough questions about birth control and what to do when you and your spouse disagree on children. Listen in as the conversation covers kids, families, prayer and God’s will.

Every day of our lives is a test. How can you prepare to pass? And how do you know when you need to stand up and fight or sit back and wait? Listen in as Pastor Matt gives real answers to tough questions about tests of faith.

When hard things come, how do you know if it’s a test from God or a form of punishment? Where is the best place to start when you’ve gotten off track financially? Listen in as Pastor Matt gives real answers to tough questions about tests of faith.

Having faith is scary. How can you tell the difference between fear and intuition? What do you do when confessing could cost you everything? Listen in as Pastor Matt gives real answers to tough questions about fear and faith.

Is it ok for a Christian to have doubts? How do you grow your faith in God and in others when the odds are against you? Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown gives real answers to tough questions about faith.

What do you do when you feel horrible about what you’ve done? Will guilt and shame last forever? And what do you do when you’re carrying someone else’s baggage? Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown gives real answers to tough questions about guilt and shame.

Is it ever ok to cut someone out of your life? How do you survive a break-up? Listen in as Pastor Matt and Sandals Church Soul Care Director Brett Ryan answer your questions on dealing with relational baggage.

Is it a sin to be too tired or do too much? How do you rest when there’s just so much to do, or so many people needing you? Listen in as Pastor Matt gives real answers to tough questions about rest, the sabbath and how to stop overworking.

Will Christians be judged by God in the afterlife? The answer may surprise you. Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown gives real answers to tough questions about judgment, confession, purgatory and how to deal with sin.

When seeing both sides so clearly, how do you decide which is right? Having intuition on others feelings, how do you truly know how you personally feel? How do you make declarative statements in the midst of conflict without creating more conflict? Listen in as Pastor Matt and guests unpack what it’s like to be a 9 on the Enneagram.

How can you be strong and driven without being a bulldozer? What does pursuing gentleness look like when it’s not something that comes naturally? Listen in as Pastor Matt and guests unpack what it’s like to be an Eight on the Enneagram.

How can you move forward from negative experiences? How do you stay present in the hard times? What do you do when you have made yourself too busy to spend time with God? Listen in as Pastor Matt and friends talk through the joy and challenge of being a Seven on the Enneagram.

How do you get out of your head and learn to connect with God and others with your heart? What is a good balance between “me-time” and building relationships? Listen in as Pastor Matt and guests unpack what it’s like to be a Five on the Enneagram.

How do you balance your faith vs your feelings? What do you do when no one really gets you? What’s the link between envy and creativity? Listen in as Pastor Matt and guests unpack what it’s like to be a Four on the Enneagram.

What’s the healthiest way to pursue achievement, success and image? How do you motivate others who don't have the same goals as you? And what if you’re married to someone who values success over relationship? Listen in as Pastor Matt and guests talk about the Three style on the Enneagram.

When can helping others actually hurt? How do you love someone who doesn’t ever seem to need anything? What is the real difference between self-love and pride? Listen in as Pastor Matt and guests unpack the Two style of the enneagram.

How do you know if your best is good enough? What does it look like to put down the to-do list and really rest? How can we all pursue goodness without becoming legalistic? Listen in as Pastor Matt talks with guests who identify with the One style on the Enneagram.

Why do some of us handle life’s stress differently than others? Before kicking off a nine-week series all about using the Enneagram as a tool for being real with ourselves, Pastor Matt and his wife Tammy sit down to answer questions on how and why we’re using it at Sandals Church.

Is anxiety a sin? If “giving it to God” is supposed to help us manage stress, how do you actually do that? And how can we bring people in on our struggles when people sometimes don’t always know how to respond? Listen in as Pastor Matt answers tough questions on stress, anxiety and mental health.

What do you do when your ends just don’t meet? How do you get on the same page with your spouse about financial priorities and learn what the right priorities are in the first place? Listen in as Pastor Matt answers tough questions about money and how to have more of it.

How should parents balance negative and positive feedback with kids? What are some ways to make blended or separated families work for everyone? How can people who work with kids stay motivated to make an impact? Listen in as Pastor Matt and his wife Tammy tackle tough questions on parenting.

Recorded live with a few hundred fans of the show, Pastor Matt and the Debrief crew answer questions on how to not be lonely, whether our sin affects our kids’ biology and what to do when you disagree deeply with someone you love.

Are some people called to be single even if they don’t want to be? What’s the real point of marriage? How should Christians date (or not date) and where do you find other quality singles? Listen in as Pastor Matt continues the conversation about singleness, marriage and that awkward space in between.

How can you learn to love yourself? What if you don’t feel like a very loving person? How do you honor marriage when you feel rejected by your spouse? Listen in as Pastor Matt, his wife Tammy and Sandals Church marriage pastor Andrew Boganwright answer your questions on love, marriage and how to make relationships work.

What does healing look like for women and men who have been victims of sexual harassment, abuse or assault? Is forgiveness even an option? And how can parents overcome fear in raising children knowing the prevalence of abuse? Listen in as Tammy Brown and Christina Crowley join Pastor Matt for a discussion on their own experiences healing from sexual abuse.

Life can be hard sometimes. How much suffering should we expect and how does God help us through hard times? Listen in as Pastor Matt answers questions on life with a special needs child, how to help a struggling spouse and whether or not God chooses when "it's our time."

Everyone starts off the year hoping to make it better than last. If you want to get fit, how do you find the best fit for you? Listen in as Pastor Matt talks through how to stop watching porn, how to have less anxiety and how to be a better version of yourself.

If God’s love depends on our acceptance of Jesus, how do we know if we’ve really done that? How do you find joy and survive the loneliness of being a stay at home parent? Listen in as Pastor Matt and the team talk through questions on God’s love and Jesus’ role in our lives.

The bible says that God is love, but does that love depend on what you do? Listen in as Pastor Matt clarifies what he meant when he said God’s love is conditional and hear how Christians should respond to the controversy surrounding the nation of Israel.

Are Christians supposed to celebrate Christmas differently than the rest of the world? If so, how do we do that? And let’s be real, either way the holidays can be hard for some of us. What do you do when this time of year just isn’t good for you?

What is the deal with Jesus asking us to eat his body and blood? How do we hear from God when it comes to planning out our future? And why do you do when you just don't seem to fit in with "typical" Christians? Listen in as Pastor Matt Brown talks through communion and what it really means to be "clean."

Whether you’re stuck together by biology, choice or a paycheck, navigating relationships with people who disagree with you can be tough. How should a Christian respond to people who people who don’t share your morality, beliefs or opinions? And how does that change when you’re related? Listen in as Pastor Matt prepares us all for the best part of the holidays.

What do you do when you want to get more involved at church, but your spouse isn’t on board? How can you help people when you feel really messed up yourself? And where is Sandals Church headed next? Listen in as Pastor Matt and the crew talk through what’s ahead and how we’re getting there.

Pastor Matt answers tough questions on infertility, how to know if you’re in the right job, who counts as a leader you should listen to and whether or not it’s actually ok to cuss as a Christian. The conversation wraps up with a discussion on heaven and whether or not our loved ones will be there with us.

Does the Old Testament say that racism is ok? How do you see eye to eye with loved ones who view things differently than you? How do we become better noticers or less socially awkward? Listen in as Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie tackle all kinds of follow-up and off-topic questions.

Why does God allow terrible things like the shooting in Las Vegas happen? How should (or shouldn’t) we respond? What’s the responsibility of the church in times of crisis and pain? Listen in as Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie answer your questions about how and why we should respond to tragedy.

Is the church a place where we should talk about race? How do we know where we’ve been too sensitive or not sensitive enough when it comes to our differences? Listen in as Pastor Matt and Sandals Church creative director Dex Alexander begin a conversation about race, ignorance and how to move forward together.

Does God want you to have a better sex life? How do you talk to your kids about porn - or stop watching it yourself? What are the best guidelines for sexual activity when you’re not married? Listen in as Pastor Matt tackles your questions on how to be wise when it comes to sex.

What if lust isn’t really about sex, gluttony isn’t really about food and greed doesn’t have anything to do with money? Have you ever wondered what really makes you so angry or so scared? Listen in as Pastor Matt and special guest, Tammy Brown, unpack how to figure out how you really work. Because let’s be honest, we’re all a little foolish somewhere.

How we spend our money shows what we value. If you end some months not sure where your paycheck went, or aren’t sure if God is cool with how you’re spending your money, listen in for an honest conversation about how to handle your finances.

How do you raise children to love instead of hate? How do you learn to have wise feelings? How did Pastor Matt accidentally stab someone? Questions need answers, and this episode is full of them. Listen in for a talk on wisdom, racism, education and parenting.

When racial tension erupts, is there a wise way to respond? And if love is the best weapon to use against hate, how do you wield it? Pastor Matt Brown talks through what happened in Charlottesville, ways to be wise and how to find the facts in a world run by feelings.

If wisdom requires listening, how do you learn to receive criticism or pay attention when you’re easily distracted? Is there a difference between gaining wisdom and learning a skill? And how do you get to the other side of the story? Listen in as Pastor Matt dishes out wisdom on how to be wise.

Pastor Matt and the crew are joined by Claude Hickman for a recap of the Supernatural series, all about rediscovering who God really is. The conversation ranges from how to better understand God to the many things we may never really understand about him.

What’s the difference between good and bad stress? Or guilt and shame? Can you really ever forgive someone who abused you? Pastor Matt has given some great answers to these tough questions over the first 70 episodes of The Debrief, listen in to hear his thoughts on divorce, his tips on studying the Bible with ADD and what he and Tammy have to say about being married.

If you’ve ever wondered if you can lose your salvation, if there are different levels of heaven or hell or what happens when a Christian commits suicide, we’ve talked about it here. We’ve also thrown in Pastor Matt’s take on homosexuality and the church, how Christians should interact with drugs and alcohol and whether Jesus was killed or chose to die.

Have you ever wondered why? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why did a so-called perfect God create a clearly imperfect world? And why does the Old Testament still matter if Jesus changed everything? On this week's episode, Pastor Matt, Tim and Stephanie walk through questions that all start with "why?"

Anxiety is a real thing, and it’s possible well-meaning Christians have been giving the wrong advice about it for a long time. Listen in as Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie share their own experiences with anxiety and answer questions about what to do when “just pray about it” just doesn’t work.

What’s so bad about wanting to be perfect? What’s the right way to pray? And how do you know when it’s time to step out in faith or wait for better circumstances? This week Pastor Matt tackles tough questions about perfection, prayer and preparedness.

What does it mean to be happy? How do you know if you’ve heard the voice of God or just your own subconscious? And how on earth can an a-hole, well, stop being an a-hole? Pastor Matt Brown gives real answers to tough questions about happiness.

What do you do when work isn’t working for you? How can you find meaning in your job - no matter what it is - and how do you know if God wants you to find a new place to work? Pastor Matt tackles real questions about happiness in the workplace.

How can we really be happy when we’re in the midst of parenting small children or working in a job that is anything but what we dreamed it would be? Was Jesus actually happy when he was on earth? Listen in as Pastor Matt answers our questions and shares some of the secrets to real happiness.

Is it possible to be truly happy in an imperfect world? Is plastic surgery ok for Christians and when/how do you walk away from crazy? Pastor Matt and the crew answer these questions and more while unpacking a sermon all about holding onto happiness.

Can you be a gay Christian, how do you apologize to an ex and how do you know if your guilt is from God or the enemy? Pastor Matt Brown shares his thoughts on how to grow in your faith, not become a slave to money and how exactly to go about enjoying God.

Can Christians get help from hypnotists and mediums? What about marrying someone who is divorced or reading the “other” books from the bible? Sometimes things just aren’t quite black and white, especially when you’re trying to follow Jesus. Listen in as Pastor Matt gives real answers to tough questions about what is and isn’t sin.

Can we really know what the afterlife, heaven, and hell are really like? And why do we focus so much on the size of the church? Or can a non-sexual dating relationship between two people of the same gender be okay? Pastor Matt, Justin, and Stephanie walk through your questions across a handful of topics while teaching us what it means to be real in serving the church.

If Jesus says we’re forgiven, why do we still talk about judgment day? And what do you do when you keep asking God to change the way you feel, but nothing seems to be happening? Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie walk through your questions about coworkers, God’s judgment and serving at church.

Two weeks after Pastor Matt taught on sexual temptation, the Debrief team got overrun by your questions about sex. In this episode, Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie talk through questions on forgiveness, sex, homosexuality and porn.

Pastor Mark Driscoll joins the show to talk through some off-topic questions with the crew. Listen in as Pastor Matt, Pastor Mark, Justin and Stephanie talk through gender roles, how to have a more interactive relationship with God and what to do when you act on bad advice.

How do you find someone to date? What happens when the person you’re dating changes their view on church and faith? And where exactly is the line? Pastor Matt gives real answers to your tough questions about dating.

The bible says “bad company corrupts good character” - so how do you find and keep the right friends? Listen in as Pastor Matt talks about friendships, the most dangerous thing to Christianity and the best thing to help a toxic person in your life.

From melting down toddlers to defiant teenagers, Pastor Matt answers listener questions on how to raise kids in an ever-changing world. Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie talk through how to navigate one of the hardest and most rewarding jobs there is.

People are hard, and somehow the people we fall in love with and choose to spend our entire lives with can be the hardest. What do you do when your spouse doesn't share your beliefs? Or won't forgive you for something you've done? And how do we not just survive marriage, but make it great? Listen in as Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie talk marriage.

Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie start to break down Genesis and the story of how we all got here and how we all got so messed up. In this episode, Pastor Matt talks about the bad side of religion, what your gender says - and doesn’t say - about you and what forgiveness really is.

Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie talk through how to be real with others. Listen in as they talk through whether or not to attend a gay wedding, how to confess sin and actually experience forgiveness and how to heal from things that have wounded you.

Pastor Matt's wife Tammy joins the show for a special episode all about their marriage and relationship. Listen in as they share about their highs and lows, the times they almost didn't make it and what they've learned about being real in the process.

Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie tackle lots of off-topic follow-up questions from listeners. Listen in on an honest conversation about sexual boundaries in dating, how to be better at reading your Bible and what Sandals Church has to say about the pro-life/pro-choice debate.

How should Christians respond to the refugee crisis, what’s the role of religion if God just wants a relationship and what does “God is love” actually mean? Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie talk through how to be real with God.

What do you do when your family isn’t ok with you being real? How exactly do we humble ourselves? Is all religion pointless? Listen in as Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie talk through what it means to be real.

Did God give people free will to knowingly send some to hell? Does forgiving someone mean you need to like them? And where did the Sandals Church vision of being real come from in the first place? Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie answer listener questions and dive into the Sandals Church origin story.

How does Sandals Church view homosexuality, what exactly is the unforgiveable sin and is it ever possible to lose our salvation? This week Pastor Matt tackles the tough questions we hear quite often at Sandals Church.

Plenty happens before we record each episode of The Debrief, and most of the time the mics are on. Now's your chance to listen in on some behind the scenes fun with Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie and some of our most recent guests.

How do we know if God will answer our prayers or not? What makes God more likely to perform a miracle? Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie wrap up the book of Acts and share what’s ahead for the Debrief in 2017.

What happens when a Christian commits suicide, are some sins worse than others and do people really have free will? Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie talk through Acts 26 and what the greatest Christian of all time had to say when he was on trial.

Can going to prison ever be a good thing, how do we handle hard times and when did the bible stop being cool with multiple wives? Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie jump into Acts 25 and what happened when a new Roman governor came to town.

How to respect bad leaders, why you may have to say sorry even if you were right and how to respond when things seem absolutely out of control. This week Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie geek out about Thanksgiving and get into Paul’s showdown with his fellow Jews in Acts 23.

How do you grow in your faith when you’re really busy and making sense of apparent contradictions in the bible. Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie picking up from last week’s cliffhanger as Paul gets his people to listen closely before he says one word to make them all want to kill him.

If two people both feel they’ve heard from God and disagree, how do you know who is right? Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie walk through Acts 21 and what happens when a bunch of religious people can’t seem to figure out what to do.

How should church really work, how do we watch out for wolves and how do we know what God is asking us to do? Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie follow along as Paul continues his wild journey in Acts 20, taking the scenic route, bringing a guy back to life and dropping some pretty serious bombs on his fellow Christians.

How should Christians exercise our right to vote? Is choosing not to vote, or voting to legalize marijuana, a sin? Can someone be a true follower of Jesus and get into politics as a career? And should Christians all agree on who we elect for president? In this special episode, Pastor Matt Brown offers real answers to our tough questions about politics and voting.

Can we still expect miracles to happen, should we pick fights with demons and what’s the deal with sorcery? Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie walk through Acts 19 and your questions, with a couple of surprises along the way.

Can you be friends with people who don’t share your faith, how should Christians handle Halloween and when should you just walk away? Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie tackle your questions and the story behind Acts 18.

What should you do when you’re wronged, how do you deal with a difficult boss and what does it actually mean to actually be a good person? This week Pastor Matt, Justin and Stephanie talk through Acts 17 and answer your follow-up questions.

Pastor Matt Brown, Justin Pardee and Stephanie Keen talk through how to survive conflict, why Christians go to church on Sundays and how to talk evolution. The team walks through Acts 15 and what the early church decided Christians really can and can’t do.

Pastor Matt Brown, Justin Pardee and Stephanie Keen are together again to talk through whether or not you can lose your faith. As they get into Acts 14, they discuss if God only works through open doors and why the Bible talks about people tearing off their clothes when things get weird.

Melody Workman and Stephanie Keen team up with Pastor Matt Brown and Justin Pardee to answer questions about picking a church, predestination and government sorcerers. The crew also talks through Acts 13 and how to respond when we face outright rejection.

Purgatory, dinosaurs and a belly full of worms. This week’s conversation on Acts 12 and audience follow-up questions cover everything from whether Christians get special protection from bad things to whether or not prayer actually changes anything.

Melody Workman joins Pastor Matt and Justin to answer questions about religious flexibility, the Catholic church and eating lizards. We get in to Acts 11 with questions about repetitive scripture, the first missionaries and responding to so-called prophets.

Plenty of people who have no interest in going to church still pray when they really need something from God. Does God listen to or answer the prayers of those who aren’t really Christians? Pastor Matt Brown, Claude Hickman and Stephanie Keen talk through how to know if God wants us to do something or go somewhere that might be taboo.

It’s a fact commonly recognized that one of the greatest plot twists in any story when your sworn enemy decides to join your team. In Acts 9, that’s exactly what happens to the early church. Was it a good idea to ask some questions first? Or should we just accept everyone with open arms? And what happens when someone other than Jesus tried to raise a person from the dead?

For the first time in forever, Christians leave Jerusalem and start telling people in other cultures and countries about Jesus. Along the way they come across a magician and a traveling eunuch. In this episode, Pastor Matt Brown shares why it’s ok to ask God for specific things and what we’re really supposed to do to be saved.

Acts 7 is primarily a speech by Stephen walking through the entire history of the bible. Why on earth did a guy who was facing death choose to offer a history lesson as his defense?Pastor Matt Brown shares what Stephen was really doing and what this means for us.

When the church experienced racism, how did the apostles respond? What does the bible actually say about different degrees of sin? Finally, how did Stephen go from serving food to becoming an even greater speaker than Peter? Find out as Pastor Matt Brown is joined by special guest Pastor Tim Timberlake.

Flying into the sky, healing people with your shadow and prison breaking are just a handful of the supernatural tricks we see in Acts 5. Are these abilities available to us regular people, and what’s the difference between wrongful rebellion and following God instead of human authority?

Once the church started to get up and running, early Christians immediately started running into trouble with the government and leaders of their day. Were they a band of rebels set to take down the empire, or were they wrongfully accused of doing wrong? All this and more as Pastor Matt Brown walks through chapter 4 of Acts.

Maybe it’s just us, but it seems like when it comes to the Holy Spirit people can get a little weird. In this week’s episode, Pastor Matt Brown talks through what receiving the Holy Spirit actually looks like, why baptism matters and how to share your faith in a way that isn’t pushy.

Every episode of The Debrief kicks off with a cold open that comes straight out of the conversations that happen before we start recording that week. But every time we pick out our favorite (a process we've affectionately termed "mining for cold gold"), many other great moments get left behind in the vault. This week we're taking advantage of summer travel schedules and bringing you 30 minutes of outtakes from our recordings so far!

When Jesus rose from the dead, he hung out on earth for 40 days. What did he do that whole time? And what did he mean when he said his followers would get baptized with the Holy Spirit? And did rising from the dead stop people from wondering if maybe Mary made that whole virgin birth thing up? Pastor Matt Brown unpacks all this and more as we walk through the first chapter of Acts.

In what may have been the most action-packed Sunday in history, [spoiler alert] Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to many of his followers - often without even letting them know it was him. Pastor Matt Brown talks through Luke 24 and why Jesus seems to be so tricky, what his return means for us and what exactly Luke is trying to get across in his gospel.

Illegitimate trials, unnecessary torture, mob rule and political maneuvering were all defining features of the last night of Jesus’ life on earth. What elements of this had to happen and what parts were just awful events that resulted in the death of Jesus? Pastor Matt Brown, Justin Pardee and Stephanie Keen walk through Luke 23 and what exactly happened when Jesus died.

Was Judas ever really a good guy? Why did Jesus tell some fishermen and tax collectors to start carrying swords? Pastor Matt Brown, Justin Pardee and Stephanie Keen walk through some of the last moments of Jesus’ life in Luke 22, as well as what Jesus’ last night with the disciples looked like just before he was arrested.

Pastor Matt Brown, Justin Pardee and Stephanie Keen dive into Luke 21 and Jesus’ warnings about the end of the world. Other awesome topics include: the destruction of Jerusalem, the Abomination of Desolation, what real persecution looks like and Jesus’ favorite camping spot.

How should we punish people for crime? How did Jesus always beat his opposition at their own game? And what on earth will marriage and sex be like in the next life? This week Pastor Matt Brown, Justin Pardee and Stephanie Keen talk whether or not there will be free will after we die and what the difference is between heaven and the new earth.

Pastor Matt Brown, Justin Pardee and Stephanie Keen talk marriage, healing lepers and ministering safely. Walking through Luke 19 they discuss how Christians should treat people they disagree with, how God expects us to use our time, money and skills and what to do if you have one very special donkey.

In this week’s episode Pastor Matt, Justin Pardee and Stephanie Keen continue the conversation and dive into Luke 18. They discuss the importance of persistent prayer, having child-like faith, what you may have to to give up to follow Jesus, whether it’s better to be single or married and the difference between a choice and a calling.

Pastor Matt Brown, Justin Pardee and Stephanie Keen cover everything from “is my divorce a sin?”, “how do I forgive the person who abused me as a child?” to “what is the rapture?” As they talk through Luke 17 they explore what forgiveness looks like, the power of faith, self-service vs serving God and signs of the end of the world.

Pastor Matt Brown, Justin Pardee, and Stephanie Keen carefully walk through chapter 16, arguably the most confusing passage in all of Luke. They discuss the importance of Christians being clever in today’s world, whether or not money is evil and how to be strategic with it, divorce and being ready for the afterlife.

In this week's episode Pastor Matt Brown, Justin Pardee and Stephanie Keen walk through Luke 15 and discuss the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons, what it means to count the cost of following Jesus, the movie Risen, C.S. Lewis, how God likes to party and who the older brother represents in the parable of the prodigal son.

Pastor Matt Brown, Justin Pardee and Stephanie Keen talk through chapter 14 of Luke and what prayers God does and doesn’t listen to, whether or not Christians are supposed to follow Jewish law and what Jesus means when he says “hate everyone else”.

After an Easter weekend that saw more than 10,000 people at Sandal Church, Pastor Matt Brown, Justin Pardee and Stephanie Keen slow it down to talk Luke 13. On the docket: Eternal capital punishment, discerning the differences between evil spirits and physical injuries and the importance of work in a relationship with Jesus that’s supposed to be based on faith.

In preparation for Good Friday services at Sandals Church, Pastor Matt Brown and Creative Director, Dex Alexander sit down for a working conversation about the theology of God's wrath and Jesus' work centered on this challenging segment of Isaiah 53:10, "It was the will of the Lord to crush him."

Pastor Matt Brown, Justin Pardee and Stephanie Keen walk through Luke 11 and questions from Sandals Church community groups about what happens when God speaks, what to do with your herbs and how to know if God is saying “no.”

The gang dishes out yet another in depth discussion answering questions from small groups at Sandals Church. This week the conversation ranges from what it costs to follow Jesus, to who should go overseas and the pros and cons of biblical numerology. Pastor Matt Brown and Pastor Wayne Cordeiro of New Hope Oahu sit down to talk about how they met and how to find the perfect mentor.

Pastor Matt Brown, Justin Pardee and Stephanie Keen unpack Luke 9 and questions from community groups about whether or not Jesus is God, presidential candidates and why we don't always understand what Jesus has to say. Special guest (and Pastor Matt’s wife) Tammy Brown talks about what’s coming for women at Sandals Church.

Pastor Matt Brown, Justin Pardee and Stephanie Keen talk through questions submitted by small group leaders about demons, paying attention to what you worship and the difference between demonic influence and possession. (Yeah, this one gets a little intense.) Guest worship pastor Travis Ryan from LifePoint Church sits down with Justin to discuss what having faith really looks like.

Pastor Matt, Justin Pardee, and new guest host Stephanie Keen discuss what Jehovah really means, what Jesus really meant when he said to “turn the other cheek” (and exactly how many cheeks should be turned) and the various healings in Jesus’ ministry. Sandals Church worship leader Melody Workman chimes in with what challenged her most in Luke 7 and how she’s dealt with guilt and shame in the past after growing up in the church.

It’s national pizza day and Pastor Matt Brown and Justin Pardee are talking about Luke 6, which may be considered one of the most difficult chapters of the new testament for Christians to handle. In this episode of the debrief Pastor Matt Brown and Justin Pardee discuss what Jesus has to say in this chapter about right and wrong really is.

In the inaugural episode of The Debrief, Pastor Matt and Justin tackle questions submitted by community group leaders regarding Luke 1-4. Matt describes his own encounters with the voice of God answering a question about angels appearing to people. They go on to further explain the temptations Jesus faced as both God and man and the differences between temptation and sinning. Campus Pastor Adam Atchison shares how the power of a healing prayer service drastically changed his walk in Christ.